Buying Tips

Common Sense Precautions

There are some basic background steps we should all take before we send money (or valuable parts) to folks we don't know for goods (or payment) we haven't seen:

Ask around. Do your friends in the hobby know the individual or company?
(This is a prime reason to join a car club - membership allies you with hundreds or thousands of hobbyists who share your interests, who care about the integrity of the hobby, and who know where you can reliably find the parts you need!)

Ask for references. Ask the vendor for names of other customers, and of other
vendors who know and can vouch for him/her. You can also ask for a reference
from the vendor's local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau (some BBB's charge a fee for this information). Since an individual or company who is "in business" may not be known to these agencies, it may be worthwhile to check with the local police department to ask whether the individual or company has ever come unfavorably to the attention of those authorities.

Ask the vendor what swap meets he/she will be attending. If you can meet the
vendor at a swap meet you can look the parts over before purchase.

Contact Us. We will let you know if we have received any complaints involving
an advertiser. Call Mary Brott at (800) 227-4373, extension 635, or e-mail
her at mbrott@hemmings.com.

Someone Answering Your Ad? Ask specific questions about the part that require more than a "Yes or No" answer. Don't bother dealing with someone who cannot provide you photos of the parts or car you are looking for or who refuses to show you or your representative the item(s) prior to payment. Be wary of a seller requesting immediate payment or payment to a third party/location. Remember, If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

Hire an appraiser. For large purchases, consider hiring someone else to go look at the goods, if you can't go to see them yourself. (Appraisers advertise in HMN under "Appraisers & Brokers".) If you can't find a licensed appraiser geographically close to the item you're considering, you may be able to find a fellow club member who can do the job more informally for you, if you belong to the right car clubs. (At a minimum you should reimburse expenses for such a favor.)

Explore payment options. If you feel uncomfortable sending money to an
unfamiliar person(s) we stongly recommend use of an escrow service. There are several
online services available for reasonable fees. www.paypal.com is our preferred provider.

IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS with vendors who have advertised
on www.hemmings.com, or problems with customers PLEASE LET US KNOW!
It's vitally important to us that we learn of unreliable advertisers, in order to keep
our database of such knowledge up to date. If you have a complaint about an
advertiser send an e-mail with the particulars including the date of the
transaction, amount, item purchased, and outcome to date to mbrott@hemmings.com.

PURCHASING VEHICLES - GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING!!! -

We strongly urge customer have the vehicle inspected before purchase. If customer is unable to inspect the vehicle, we suggest using an appraiser or a member of a car club. Most members will inspect a car located close by for a nominal fee or reimbursement of travel expenses.

Deposits - Discuss and get in writing what will happen to your deposit if you decide not to buy. Hobby rule of thumb is that if deposit is made and potential buyer decides not to purchase, he will receive the entire deposit back unless he has imposed a burden on the advertiser/sale. If a burden has been imposed, advertiser may be entitled to keep some or all of the deposit.

Discuss and get in writing what will happen if the car is received and not to the customer's satisfaction;

Can the vehicle be returned for a full refund?

What is the time limit/window for return?

Who will pay for return shipping?

Is there a time/trouble fee?

Because of the high dollar amounts involved in vehicle purchases, we sometimes have trouble resolving these disputes. As a result the customer may have to resort to a costly legal battle.

BUYING A CAR SIGHT UNSEEN SHOULD BE DONE WITH GREAT CAUTION AND IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CUSTOMER.